See James Gandolfini's son as young Tony Soprano in the first full trailer for 'The Sopranos' prequel 'The Many Saints of Newark'
- "The Sopranos" prequel film, "The Many Saints of Newark," debuted its first full trailer Tuesday.
- The movie follows a young Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini's son, Michael.
- "The Many Saints of Newark" is out October 1 in theaters and on HBO Max.
Fans of the hit HBO drama "The Sopranos," which aired for six seasons and garnered numerous awards throughout its run, will definitely recognize a few of the characters featured in new trailer for the upcoming prequel film, "The Many Saints of Newark."
Vera Farmiga plays a young Livia Soprano, whose relationship with Tony (played as a teenager in the film by the late James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini) eventually drives him to seek treatment with the psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (portrayed on the show by Lorraine Bracco) as an adult in the television series.
Also seen in the trailer are Uncle Junior, now played by Corey Stoll, and Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), Tony's uncle and the father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli's character on the show).
"The Many Saints of Newark" is set during Tony's adolescence in 1960s New Jersey as his male relatives, especially Dickie, introduce him to a life of violence and crime.
As the trailer highlights, tensions between Italian Americans and Black Americans were at a breaking point and culminated in the 1967 uprisings in Newark.
And while the ending to the critically acclaimed drama was frustratingly vague (the final shot of Tony famously cut to black in the midst of a tense dinner scene, leaving his fate ambiguous), the new film seems like it will shed some light on how Tony's upbringing, and especially his relationship with his mother, influenced his adult personality.
"The Many Saints of Newark" is written and produced by David Chase, showrunner and creator of "The Sopranos." Farmiga, Gandolfini, Nivola, Stoll, and Leslie Odom Jr. star in the film.